SOIL CULTURE;
CONTAINING
A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW
OF
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, POMOLOGY,
DOMESTIC ANIMALS, RURAL ECONOMY,
AND AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE.
BY
J. H. WALDEN, A. M.
ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY ROBERT SEARS,
181 WILLIAM STREET.[Pg 3]1858.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857,By J. H. WALDEN,in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for theNorthern District of Illinois.
SAVAGE & McCREA, STEREOTYPERS, C. A. ALVORD, Printer,
13 Chambers Street, N.Y. No. 15 Vandewater Street, N.Y.
TO
THE PRACTICAL CULTIVATORS OF THE SOIL,
The True Lords of the Manor,
THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED,
BY THEIR SINCERE FRIEND,
The Author.
PREFATORY NOTE TO THE READER.
If "he who causes two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before,is a benefactor of his race," he is not less so who imparts to millionsa knowledge of the methods by which it is done.
The last half century has been the era of experiments and writing on thecultivation of the soil. The result has been the acquisition of moreknowledge on the subjects embraced, than the world had attained in allits previous history. That knowledge is scattered through many volumesof numerous periodicals and books, and interspersed with many theories,and much speculation, that can never be valuable in practice. In theform in which it is presented, it confuses, rather than aids, the greatmass of cultivators. Hence the prejudice against "book-farming."Provided established facts only are presented, they are none the worsefor being printed.
The object of this volume is to condense, and present in an intelligibleform, all important established facts in the science of soil-culture.The author claims originality, as to the discovery of facts and[Pg 6]principles, in but few cases. During ten years of preparatory study forthis work, he has sought the rewards of industry, in sifting out thecertain and the useful from the hypothetical and the fanciful, and theresults of judicious discrimination between fallacy and just reasoning,in support of theories. This volume is designed to be a complete manualfor all but amateur cultivators. While it is believed that he whofollows its directions will be certain of success, it is not intended todisparage the merits of other works, but to encourage and extend theirperusal. We can not too strongly recommend to young culturists to keepthemselves well posted in this kind of literature, and give to everydiscovery and invention in this science a fair trial; not on a largescale, so as to sink money in fruitless experiments, but sufficient toafford a sure test of their real value. To no class of men is study moreimportant than to soil-culturists.
It is believed that the directions here given, if followed, will savemillions o